Apparatus for electric railway signaling



(No Model.)

A. J. WILSON.

APPARATUS'FOR ELECTRIC RA'ILWAY'SIGNALING.

Patented Mar. 22, 1892.

WW1/Leones lmlm' UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ADONIRAM J. WILSON, OF PORT CHESTER, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO THE HALLSIGNAL COMPANY, OF MAINE,

APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIC RAILWAY SIGNALING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 471,409, dated March22, 1892.

Application filed May 23, 1891. Serial No. 393,808. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, ADONIRAM J. WILsoN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Port Chester, in the county of Westchester and State of NewYork, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Apparatusfor Electric Railway Signaling, which improvement is fully set forth inthe following specification and the accompany-ing drawings,

1o which form a part thereof.

My invention relates to that system of automatic electric railwaysignaling which con` sists in dividing the line of railway or anydesired portion of it into blocks or signal-sections of convenientlength-as, say, a 1nileat the entrance of each of which blocks orsections a signal is displayed guarding the same, and in furtherdividing said blocks or sections each of them into one short sub-seczotion-or overlap at its beginning, and one long sub-section, the shortsub-section or overlapbeingof convenient length-as, say,eight hundredfeet-and the long sub-section being'the balance of the block, andfinally in operating the signals bythe action of the train in passingover the line.

It further relates to that system of such signaling in which the actionof the train continues to give the danger-signal after the 3o train hasleft the block and while any part of it is upon the short sub-section oroverlap of the next succeeding block.

The object of my improvement is to attain this end with more absolutecertainty than 3 5 has been possible heretofore, by simpler means thanthose ordinarily employed, and lwith a great reduction in the number ofunnecessary stoppages of trains.

The accompanying drawings show diagram- 4o matically a portion of a lineof railway (consisting of one full block and a portion of another block)to which my invention is applied in the best form known to me, showingthe signals and their accompanying electric circuits and the relationsof both to the ine.

A and B are the signals at or near the entrances to the adjacent blocks,which blocks begin, the one at a on the line of railway and 5o the otherat IJ. The block beginning at o, is

divided at d into two sub-sections, the sub-section a d (or theover-lap, as it called) being some eight hundred feet long and thesub-section a b being thebalance of the mile. Similarly the next blockis divided at b. The 5f line of railway is in any desired way insulatedat a a h b', the., both lines of rails of the one subsection from thoseof the next; but the rails of each separate line of rails of asub-section are electrically connected.

The particular construction of the signals A B is immaterial, as anydesired form of signal may be used, although I prefer a signal which isnormally held at' safety by an electric current flowing in anormally-closed signaling-circuit, and which goes to danger wheneverthat current is shunted or interrupted or sufficient-ly weakened. Thedrawings show apparatus adapted to such a signal.

The signaling-circuit which operates the 7o signal A may be traced asfollows in the drawings: Reginning with its battery C (preferably at thefar end of the block) it passes through wire 1, circuit-breaker 2, (neara,) wire 3, signal A, Wires 4 5 6 7 8 9, circuit- 75 breaker l0, andback to battery C. This circuit is normally closed, and the currentflowing normally through it holds the signal at safety It will beobserved that the track forms no part of this signaling-circuit, and 8otherefore a strength of battery can be used and a certainty of freedomfrom accident-al loss of the current attained not heretofore attainedwhen the rail has formed any part of the signaling-circuit. It will alsobe observed 8 5 that the signaling-circuit is not directly or primarilyacted upon by the train, and it is therefore a secondarysignaling-circuit. This secondary1 signaling-circuit is adapted to bebroken either at the circuit-breaker 2 (by the 9o failure of the currentflowing through the electro-magnet D, as hereinafter described) or atthe circuit-breaker 10 (by the failure of the current flowing throughthe electro-magnet E, as also hereinafter described.) Vhen- 9 5 ever itis broken anywhere and so long as it remains broken, the currentnormally flowing through it is interrupted, and the signal beingreleased goes positively to danger.7 The signaling-circuit is broken bythe circuitroo breaker 2 whenever a train or any part of it is on theoverlap a d or on the long sub-section a b of the block, in the way tobe now described.

The overlap a ct has a battery F at its far end, and at its near end thecircuit is coinpleted through an electro-magnet G, the circuit being asfollows: Battery F,\vire 11,'line of rails 12, wire 13, electro magnetG, wire 14, line of rails 15, wire 16, to battery. This circuit, it willbe observed, is directly or primarily acted upon by a train or any partof a train upon it to the extent that the current from the battery isshort-circuited through the wheels and axles ot' the train, and isthereby cut off from the electro-magnet G. This breaks the localcircuit, consisting of battery H, wire 17, electro-magnet I, wire 1S,circuit-breaker 19, and wire 2O at the circnitbreaker 19, whichcircuit-breaker is controlled and held in circuit closing position bythe electromagnet G. This breaks the local circuit, consisting ofbattery J, wire 21, circuit-breaker 22, wires 23 5 G 24, electro-magnetK, and wire 25 at the circuitbreaker 22, and it also breaks the longsecondary signaling-circuit of the preceding block or section at thecircuit-breaker 26, for these two circuit-breakers 22 and 2G arecontrolled and held in circuit-closing position by the electro-magnet I.The latter result sets or continues the signal ofthe preceding block orsection at danger. The former result-to wit, breaking the local circuitat 22-demagnetizes the electro-inagnet K, and so breaks the primarycircuit on the long sub-section d'1), consisting of the battery L, wire27, line of rails 2S, wire 29, electro-magn et D, wire 30,circuit-breaker 31, wire 32, line of rails 33, and wire 34; at thecircuitbreaker 3l, for the latter is controlled by and held in itscircuit-closing position by the electro-magnet K. This demagnetizes theelectro-magnet D, and so breaks the long secondary signaling-circuit ofthe block in question at the circuit-breaker 2 (which is controlled byand held in its circuit-closing position by the electro-magnet D) andsets the signal A at dangen Thus the action of the train or of any partof it moving or resting upon the short sub-section or overlap a a is toset the signal A at danger, and also to set or continue at danger thecorresponding signal at the entrance to the last preceding block on theline, all in the way described.

The long sub-section c Z) has, as already referred to, a battery L atits far end, and the circuit is completed at the near end through theelectro-magnet D, as already described. A train or any part ol a trainmoving or standing on the sub-section a h will short-circuit the currentfrom the battery through its wheels and axles, and so demagnetize theelectro-magnet D, and so break the signaling-circuit of the block at thecircuit-breaker 2 and set the signal A at danger. This is the only eectof a train on the long sub-section a h. A train on the next Overlap b hwill in a precisely similar manner, through the electromagnet N,circuit-breaker 35, electro-magnet E, and circuit-breaker 10, set orcontinue the signal A at danger, and will also-in a precisely similarway, through electro-magnet N, circuit-breaker 35, electro-magnet E,circuitbreaker 3G, electro-magnet O, cirquit-breaker 37, electro-magnet1), and circuit-breaker 38, set the signal B at danger. )Vhcn the trainnally passes entirely from the overlap b', the electro-magnet N becomesmagnetlzed again and closes the circuitbreaker 35, and thereby theelectro-magnet E becomes magnetized again and closes the circuit-breaker10, and therefore (the circuit-breaker 2 having been closed when thetrain left the subsection a ZJ) the secondary signaling-circuit of theblock in question is now everywhere closed and the signal is thereforeset at safety-f.

The operation of my device as a whole is therefore as follows, assumingthat the tram moves in the direction indicated bythe arrow on thedrawings:

First operation-on train entering sub-section a a: This demagnetizes G,whichby breaking' the circuit of H at 19 demagnetizcs I, which bybreaking the circuit of J at 22 delnagn etizes K, which by breaking thecircuit of L at 3l demagnetizes D, and which by breaking 95 thetrain-signaling circuit ot the block (of which circuit C is the battery)at 2 demagnctizes the operating electro-magnetfof the signal A, which isin that circuit and causes the signal A to show danger. Thedemagnetizing of I also breaks at 20 the main signaling-circuit of thepreceding block, in which circuit isincluded the operatingelectro-magnet of the signal at the entrance to said precedingblock.

Second operation-on train entering sub-` section a b: This demagnetizesD, which by breaking at 2 the main signaling-circuit 0E the block (ofwhich circuit C is the battery) dexnagnetizes the operatingelectro-magnet of the signal A and causes that signal A to show dangenThird operation-on train enteringsub-scction h b: This repeats the firstoperation on the corresponding instruments of the next succeedingblock--namely, through magnets and circuit-breakers N, 35, E, 36, O, 37,P, and 3S. It breaks the main signaling-circuit of that next succeedingblock in which is the operatin g electro-magnet of the signal B, andthereby causes that signal B to show dringen and through magnets andcircuit-breakers N, 35, E, and 10 it breaks the main signaling-cir cuit,in which is the operating electro-magnet of the signal A, and therebycauses that signal A to show dangen Fourth operation-on train enteringnext long sub-section: This is exactly like the second operationrepeated on the corresponding instruments of the second block, and soon.

Instead of operating with a signaling-circuit that is normally closed,one may operate with a signaling-circuit that is norlnallyopen.

The necessary changes involved will bc evident to any one skilled in theart.

IOO

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to Secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a seriesof two or more secondary signaling-circuits, one for each block orsection, for actuating or controlling a signal or signals for such blockor section, a series of four or more primary signaling-circuits, two foreach block or section, adapted to be actuated successively by a trainwhile traversing the said blocks or sections, the first primary circuitof each block actuating or controlling the second primary circuit ofthat block and also actuating or controlling the secondary circuit ofthe preceding block and the second primary circuit of each blockactuating or controlling' the secondary circuit of that block. Y

2. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of asecondary signalingcirciiit for actuating or controlling the movementsof a signal, a circuit-breaker placed in said secondary circuit, twoprimary signalingcircuits, and a circuit-breaker in one of said primarycircuits, which said primary circuit is normally closed and controls theaction of the circuit-breaker in the said secondary circuit and theother of which primary circuits controls the actionof thecircuit-breaker ink the said first primary circuit, the primary circuitsbeing themselves actuated successively by a train while traversing thesignal-section protected by said signal.

3. The combination, substantially as herei'nbefore set forth, of twoadjoining secondary signaling-circuits for actuating or controlling themovements of the signals, respectively, for two adjoiningsignal-sections, a circuitbreaker placed in each of said secondarycircuits, two primary signaling-circuits which are acted uponsuccessively by a train whi le traversing one of said signal-sections, acircuitbrealer in one of said primary circuits, which said primarycircuit.- is normally closed and controls the action of thecircuit-breaker in one of the said secondary circuits and the other ofwhich primary circuits controls the action of the circuit-breaker in thesaid first primary circuit and also controls the action of thecircuit-breaker in the other of the said secondary circuits.

4f. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of twoadjoining secondary signaling-circuits for actuating or controlling themovements of the signals, respectively,

for two adjoining signal-sections, a circuit-l breaker placed in each ofsaid secondary circuits, two primary signaling-circuits which are actedupon successively by a train while traversing one of saidsignal-sections, a circuit-breaker in one of said primary circuits,which said primary circuit is normally closed and controls the actionofthe circuit-breaker in one of the said secondary circuits and the otherof which primary circuits controls the action of the circuit-breaker ina local circuit, which local circuit in turn controls the action of acircuit-breaker in the said first primary circuit and also' controls theaction of the circuit-breaker in the other of the said secondarycircuits.

ADONIRAM J. VILSON.

lvVitnesses:

HERBERT H. Grises, WILLIAM H. KENYoN.

